Switch



May 13 1924. 1,493,858

e. R. HEBDEN SWITCH Filed May 15 1919 l atentecl May 13, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. HEBDEN, 015 DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC 6: MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH.

Application filed May 15, 1919. Serial No. 297,242.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lUlOWIl that I, GEORGE E. HEBDEN,

a citizen o1 the United States, and a resident of Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to starting switches and particularly to attachments therefor. 1 One object of my invention is to provide an attachment for a starting switch that shall be adapted to prevent the movable member of the switch from remaining in its starting position when released by the operator or attendant.

Another object of my invention is to provide an attachment, of the above-indicated character, that shall be simple and inexpensive to construct, readily applicable to the if ordinary types of starting switches and effective in its operation.

In practicing my invention, I provide a post or supporting member that is adapted to be secured to the base plate of the switch. A wire is so disposed about the arms of the post member and is of such shape as to constitute a resilient lever arm that is adapted to engage the movable member of the switch when the latter is in its starting po sition to thereby tend to propel it away from the starting position when it is advertently left in that position.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side elevational view of a starting switch 35 embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view-of the switch shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a starting switch embodying a modified form of my invention; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top 4 plan view of the switch shown in Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the attachment for a starting switch shown in Figs.

3 and 4.

The starting switch shown comprises, in 4 general, a base plate 1, stationary contact members 2, 3 and 4, knife-blade members 5 and fuse contact members 6. The knifeblade members 5 are pivotally mounted on the contact members 2 and are secured together by a non-conducting bar 7 to which a handle member 8 is operatively connected. Post members 9 are secured adjacent the contact members3 and severally have pivotally mounted therein a curved lever arm 10 that is restrained in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing by a spring 11. The post 9 may be cut away in such manner as to limit the movement of the outer end of the lever arm 10 in its downward di rection.

WVhen the knife-blade members 5' are moved into engagement with the stationary contact members 3, the bar 7 engages the lever arms 10 to thereby tension the springs 11. The springs 11 are of such characteristics that, when the pressure of the hand is removed from the handle 8, the lever arms are caused to move upwardly and thereby propel the knife-blade members out of engagement with the stationary contact members 3. This is desirable because, when the knife-blade members 5 are in engagement with the stationary contact members 3, the motor or other device that is adapted to be controlled by the switch is either included in circuit with a relatively high-resistance resistor or is not operating under its normal running conditions and it is essential that the same shall not be maintained under these conditions for a longer period than is necessary to start the motor.

In Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, post members 12, having a plurality of arms 13 and 14, are provided. A wire 15 is so disposed around, and secured to, the arms 13 and 14 as to constitute a lever arm having a predetermined degree of resiliency. The bent or projecting portion 16 of the wire 15 is adapted to be engaged by the bar 7 of the knife-blade members 5, and the coil portions of the wire are of such characteristics as to ensure the exertion of sufficient force against the bar 7 to propel the knife-blade members 5 out of engagement with the stationary contact members 3 when the handle member 8 is released in this position.

The form of attachment shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 is relatively simple and inexpensive to construct and, since wire of any desirable size may be used, any degree of resiliency desirable may be attained.

My invention is not limited to the particular structure illustrated as it may be variously modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a starting switch, the combination with a stationary jaw member and a co-opcrating pivoted knife-blade member therefor, of means for applying a force on the blade member at a point beyond the stationary jaw member for moving the blade member out of contact with the jaw member.

2. In a starting switch, the combination with a stationary jaw member and a co-opcrating pivoted knife-blade member therefor, of means extending to a point beyond the stationary jaw memberfor applying a force substantially at said free end for moving the blade member out of contact with the jaw member.

3. In a starting switch, the combination with a plurality of stationary jaw members and a plurality of co-operating pivoted knife-blade members therefor, of a plurality of means independent of each other for applying forces to the blade members at points beyond to the stationary jaw members for moving the blade member out of contact with the jaw members.

4. In. a starting switch, the combination with a plurality of stationary aw members and a co-operating multi-pole knife-blade structure therefor, of means disposed later- GEORGE R. HEBDEN. 

